


Sleepless Nights

by supreme_genius



Series: Marvel Ficlets [3]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 05:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1928109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supreme_genius/pseuds/supreme_genius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>It's an especially bad night for Bucky; he wakes up screaming and sobbing, sweat covering his body. Steve is awake and has his arms wrapped around him in a matter of seconds. Steve was always good about being able to comfort Bucky in the middle of the night.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleepless Nights

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Marvel or these characters.  
> I own nothing but my ridiculous ideas.  
> This has not been beta read.

It's an especially bad night for Bucky; he wakes up screaming and sobbing, sweat covering his body. Steve is awake and has his arms wrapped around him in a matter of seconds. Steve was always good about being able to comfort Bucky in the middle of the night. Plus, he was a light sleeper. It's been a while and the nightmares are fewer and far between. But they're more intense. There was even a night when Steve woke up to see Bucky sitting in the corner, crying and shaking, wrapped in Steve's old army jacket. He needed the support, at least that’s what he had said.

Bucky isn't able to fall back asleep, so Steve stays up with him. In the morning they both take long, hot showers to wake themselves up. Steve indulges in four cups of coffee and Bucky drinks three Red Bulls and is about to open a can of Mountain Dew. 

Bucky is finally able to get a good look at Steve. He looks tired and worn out. There are bags under his eyes -- faint because of the serum, but still there nonetheless. Bucky knows it's his fault. In the last week, he's only gotten about ten hours of sleep. Which means Steve's only gotten about ten hours of sleep -- save for a few naps. 

So then Bucky starts getting into projects later in the day, working into the night, telling Steve to head to bed and he'll be there in five. Steve is out like a light in three. Bucky just stays up, wandering around the tower, occasionally visiting Tony in lab (they're attempting to work on a new arm for Bucky, but it's hard to see how his current one is attached and they can't do a scan because of the metal, so it's a slow process), or talking about all the new gun technology with Natasha (she sleeps, but not much, maybe 4-5 hours a night is good enough for her). 

Bucky lets Steve get his sleep. He crawls in bed early in the morning, usually around 4 or 5. 

Bucky keeps this up and Steve looks good as new in about a week. On the nights when everyone else is asleep, Bucky sneaks into the lab and talks to JARVIS, mostly trying to catch up what on what he's missed. 

One night Steve wakes up and notices that Bucky's not there. Worried that he didn't hear him wake up, he gets up and starts looking. Eventually he finds Bucky in the lab, talking to JARVIS. Steve just watches for a while.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, Mister Barnes?"

"Tell me about Steve."

"What about him, sir?"

"What does he like? I remember some stuff, but I want to know more. He gets so happy when I remember stuff, but I feel bad asking him to help me fill in the blanks."

"Well, it seems to me that his favorite thing is you."

"What do you mean, JARVIS?"

"Captain Rogers is very fond of you." JARVIS says, being prompted by Steve out in the hallway.

Steve's voice is a whisper, barely audible. "Tell him that I like spending time with him, and as much as it can hurt, I like telling stories about the old days. Tell him I like his eyes and his nose and the way he smiles. And tell him..." Steve stops, peeking in the room to look at Bucky who's listening very intently. "Tell him I love him."

"What?" Bucky's eyes grow wide.

Steve steps into the room. "Loved you for well over half a century."

Bucky spins around, practically falling off the stool he was sitting on. "But..."

"Arm and all."

"But, Steve, I tried to..."  _Kill you_.

"No  _you_  didn't." Steve walks closer, coming up to an arm's distance. 

Bucky looks away as tears fill his eyes. He furrows his brow and bites his lip -- the face he makes when he starts to remember something. 

"What is it?"

"You said it... back during the war. After I was taken by... We were in your tent. You thought I was sleeping. You whispered 'I love you.'" Bucky pauses. "And I... " 

"What?"

"I wanted to say it back, but... I think I was scared. Not of rejection... just the time... "

"We live in a different time now, ya know."

Bucky nods.

"You don't have to say it. Not if you're not ready."

Bucky looks up at Steve, leans up on his toes, and kisses him.

He pulls away, barely. When he speaks, it tickles Steve's lips. "I love you, too."


End file.
